Culinary frontierspeople Sam Buffa and Jean Adamson bring a seasonal menu and affordable wines to Vinegar Hill, the historic micro-neighborhood wedged between Dumbo and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The pair met at Freemans, where Adamson was the chef and Buffa owns the affiliated barbershops—and discovered they both were drawn to the waterfront location across the river. The couple first took up residence in the nineteenth-century carriage house out back, and then built the 40-seat dining room using mostly scavenged and repurposed materials. [ed: The dining room tables and decor have a rustic feel to them.] Adamson describes her menu as Moosewood Cookbook–ish in its focus on grains, legumes, and vegetables, which are intended to supplement smaller portions of protein. Her fish will be sustainable and her meats broken down from whole animals procured from Fleisher’s, the upstate cult butcher, all cooked in the wood-burning oven. Also on offer: a raw bar, an American-cheese-and-homemade-cracker board, and $9 classic cocktails—liquor license pending.

We called to make reservations, and sounds like they’re working around the clock to open this week (as a ‘soft opening’, as early as this Thursday). The photo above was taken late last week. The photo taken indoors by NY Mag looks quaint and rustic, ready for customers:

Brownstoner reported yesterday that the former Freeman’s Alley chef Jean Adamson is opening a restaurant at 72 Hudson Avenue in Vinegar Hill. According to the BIS permit, the building is being converted “from store to eating and drinking establishment”. This is great news for the historic neighborhood that seems untouched by time. Will this be the first of a few others to come to VH?

The Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold off discussing 70 Hudson Avenue in the quiet Vinegar Hill neighborhood, according to today’s LPC agenda. The corner lot, Greek revival style rowhouse was built circa 1828-41. The application is to modify the storefront, and construct rooftop and rear yard additions. There is currently no storefront, but probably once had one. Anyone know what it used to be back in the day? Please comment below.

Vinegar Hill is a usually a quiet neighborhood, (one of my favorites) but early morning on Wednesday, residents were awakened by a police chase that ended in a crushed cab and an arrest. I’ll let the resident who emailed me tell the story:

Last night, at 4:17 A.M., within earshot of the building at 91 Hudson Ave, there was a bang that sounded like the shelling of Vinegar Hill. I shot upright in terror and ran to the window but I couldn’t see anything. There was some angry shouting out of view, and then within 30 seconds a police car sped down Front St. and turned left on Hudson Ave. More shouting. Then my first floor neighbors came outside. People asked, “Are you okay?” A voice said, “They caught the guy.” Someone said, “Will it catch on fire?” “No, that’s the radiator.” Huh?

Apparently, a guy stole someone’s cab in Manhattan and drove it away. Then the cabbie got into another cab, chased it over to Brooklyn, and must have called the police en route. Then when the carjacker got to the end of Front Street, he couldn’t round the turn, smashed into the front door of my building, then got out of the car and tried to run away but he was caught by the police. Everyone was okay, but the car was pretty smushed.

A few minutes later, four police cars were outside of my building, then firetrucks. The firefighters had to get in through the back of the first floor apartment, because there was a taxi pinning our front gate shut. They spent the next hour or so removing the gate from the roughed-up front of our building so we wouldn’t be trapped.

Not sure how long the car chase was, but it’s fortunate that no one got injured. Vinegar Hill is now back to its normal peaceful neighborhood.

Brownstoner featured <a href="this 1 bedroom condo on 85 Hudson Avenue in Vinegar Hill. I walk by it often and wondered about the interior. I’m a big fan of the quiet street and relatively untouched neighborhood. But for $599,000 (816sq.ft., 1bed, 1bath, $271maint, $11 tax), you have to love the area. As some commenters said, it’s not very far from the York Street Station (F). The other benefit is that it’s close to Admiral’s Row in Brooklyn Navy Yard, as long as the row isn’t torn down to build a mega grocery store.